Protective apparatus for safes and safety vaults



Apr. 10, 1923.

E. V. LORIG ET AL PROTECTIVE APPARATUS FOR SAFES AND SAFETY- VAULTS Filed Oct. 27, 1921 2 sheets-sheet l INVENTORS. JL 5555 6'. GRAHAM.

2K6? l ATTORNEY.

Apr. 10, 1923. 1,451,581

E. V. L ORIG ET AL PROTECTTVE APPARATUS FOR- SAFES AND SAFETY VAULTS Filed Oct. 27,-1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 EMA/WEL 1,/ LOP/G. ULyssL-s G. GRAHAM.

INVENTORS.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 10, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EHANUEL V. LOBIG AND 'ULYSBES G. GRAHAM, 0F QMAHA, NEBRASKA. I

PROTECTIVE APPARATUS FOB SAFES AND SAFETY VAULTS.

Application nled October 27, 1921. 'Serial No. 510,829.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, EMANUEL V. Lomo and ULYssus G. GRAHAM, citizens of the United States, residing in the city of Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Protective Apparatus for Sa es and Safety Vaults, and have described the same in the following specification, illustrated by the accompanying draw- 1n s.

ur invention relates to that class of apparatuses which are used to protect safes and vaults from burglars and cracksmen, and which individually comprise a container for protective gas, or gas-forming ingredients, under compression, and means which are operatable by atmospheric vibrations, for liberating the gas. It is the main object of our improvements to increase the sensitiveness of apparatus of this class, so that it may be operated by atmospheric impulses which are of limited force; to adapt the saine to be operated by such impulses produced at a considerable distance from the container; and to adapt the apparatus to serve as a protection against fire. To accomplish these objects we incorporate in our improved apparatus. as parts thereof, a valve for liberating the contents of the container, a punch for opening the valve, a lever for operating the punch, and electrically operated means for operating the lever.

In said drawings, illustrating the best manner in which we have contemplated applying the principles of the invention, Fig. 1

. 1s a perspective view of a safety vault and a safe therein which are supplied with protective apparatus constructed in accordance with these principles. Fig. 2 is .an enlarged axial section of the container of gases or gas-forming materials which forms part oi the same apparatus. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an electric circuitcloser. forming part of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a like View of additional circuit-closing means, which are built into the door of the safe or vault shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of parts of the apparatus with their electrical connections.

In Fig. 1 the ysafety vault and the safe therein, to both of which our inventionis applied, are denoted respectively by the numerals 6 and 6'; and their doors by the numerals 7 andv 7'. The container, or generator, of gases, which forms a principal feature of the invention, is shown best in F ig. 2. It comprises a strong, hollow, cylindrical casing 8 having a normally closed gas compartment 9, charged with compressed gases adapted to repel or asphyxiate intruders, or to extinguish fire. It has a removable metallic cap 10, covering one end of the casing and having in its dome a plurality of erforations 11 for-the passage of gases an atmospheric vibrations. It has in'its head an eccentrically located port, or tubular opening, 12, connecting the gas compartment 9 with the interior of the cap; this opening has an internal shoulder forming the valve seat 13; it contains a disk valve 14 formed of soft metallic composition, normali closing the port, and a removable threaded7 bushing 15 for holding the valve to its seat. When it is desired to use the device for protection against fire, this valve is made of material which is fusible at a suitable predetermined temperature. The contalner also comprises the punch 16 which works in this bushing, and the lever, or free tym anum, 17, which actuates thev punch. he latter is a short cylindrical bar, or pin, fitted loosely into the bushing 15. At one end it has a reduced portion 18, loosely engaging the lever; While at the other end it has a similar extension 19, chisel-pointed, which rests normally upon and is adapted operatively to perforate the valve 14- or a substituted duplicate thereof. The tympanu'm 17 is a metallic diaphragm which is inserted loosely in the cap 10 and held normally by the punch in a transverse position with its periphery in contact with the internal annular shoulder 20, as shown. It has an eccentrically positioned perforation occupied by the punch extension 18, and operatively constitutes a lever movable to the position shown in dash lines in Fig. 2 so as to drive the point of the punch through the disk valve 14.-. To ensure under certain circumstances the due operation of the container and the liberation of its gases, a. detonating tube 21, of the type commonly used in ring explosive charges in mines and quarries, is inserted in the dome of the cap 10 and connected by the conductive wires 22 with the indicated electric generator 23.

As means for exploding this detonating tube, the door 7, as well as the door 7', is provided with a screen consisting of two sheets 24 of wire netting of conductive material. which lare built into the door as 1nternal parts thereof adjacent to the door locks 25; these sheets are uniformly spaced apart by sheets of insulating materlal 26, and are electrically connected respectively with concealed wires 22; while' one of these wires is provided with a circuit breaker 27, operated by opening and closmg the door. As additional means for the same purpose of exploding the tube, a similar pair of conductive screens 2-1, similarly spaced and connected, is similarly imbedded in and throughout the walls ot' the safe and vault.

As further means for exploding the detonating tube, a pneumatic circuit-closer 23, or a pluralit-y of such circuit. closer-s, 1s placed on the door or elsewhere in the vault, where it is exposed to atmospheric pulsations which may be produced by hammering or other violence, if any, occurring within the vault. This circuit-closer, shown best in Fig. 3, comprises the electrically insulating base 29, which has in its face a shallow circular concavity 30, the thin circular and slightly concave-convex diaphragm of resihent material 31, which is held Fperipherally, in this concavity, and the central contact point 32, within reach of the diaphragm. This contact point and the diaphragm are connected with the opposite poles respectively of the generator 23 by means of the said wires 22. lVhen located, as shown, on the inside of the door 7, this circuit-closer is provided with a safety device for rendering the same inoperative when the door is open. The device comprises a spring bar 33, which is terminally secured to the base. 29, is tied t-o the diaphragm by the slidable pin 34, and is either engaged and stopped or disengaged and released by the rod 35, which is carried by and interconnects the locking bolts 36 of this door.

In the application of our invention, the operator first charges the chamber 9 with a selected gas, or materials for the formation of gas, under compression, using for this purpose mustard gas, anhydrous ammonia, or similar gases of poisonous, asphyxiating or fire-extinguishing quality, as may be desired; he then closes this chamber by dropping into the upper end of the opening 12 the valve 14 and by forcin the latter to its seat 13 with the screw bus ino' 15; then inv- Serts in this bushing the punch 16 with its point 19 resting against the valve; then places on and around the punch end 18 the eccentrically perforated tympanum lever 17 then adjusts the cap 10 with its internal shoulder 2O in continuous contact with the circular margin of the tympanum; and then secures the cap to the casing 8 by the screws 37; whereby the named parts are assembled as in Fig. 2.

If, without the addition of any operating means, the casing 8, so charged and assembled, be placed in the safe (i or exposed in the vault, as shown in dash lincs in Fi l, any pulsation produced in the surroum ing air by hammering or other violence, passes through the openings 11, and strikes the tympanum 1T. When this tympanum, as a pneumatic lever, is thereby deflected to the position shown in dash lines, its movement drives thc punch point it) through the soft valve 14, and opens the same by perforation; whereby the contents of the gas chamber are liberated and, escaping through the opening 12, the valve 14, the perforation that accommodates the punch extension 18, and the holes 1l, are diffused in the surrounding air.

To ensure the described movement of the tympanum, and the consequent liberation of the confined gas at times when the hammering or other violence referred to is produced at a distance from the casing 8, or is too feeble to produce that. movement, the detonating tube 21 placed in the dome of the cap 10 and connected as described, may be exploded by the action of one of the circuitclosers 28, whose diaphragm 31 is sprung from its open position shown in 'full lines to its closing position, shown in dash lines` in Fig. 3. The wire nettings 24, and likewise the nettings 24, are adapted to act as an additional circuit-closer whenever brought into mutual electrical connection by the contact or melting operation of a candle or torch or other implement used by any intruder to penetrate the wall in which the nettings are imbedded. Each of the pneumatic circuit-closers 28 has its flexible diaphragm 31 constantly exposed to atmospheric blows or pulsations, if any, which are produced in the vault by explosions or violence, and by such blows is operatively sprung from its normal position, shown in full lines in Fig. 3, to the circuit-closing position indicated by dash lines in the same ligure. Whenever the valve 14, or a duplicate thereof, has once been used and perforated in the operation of opening the chamber 9 as described, the same must be removed from the casing and an unused duplicate must be substituted to close the chamber when recharged for further use.

We claim as our invention- 1. Apparatus of the specified class, comprsing a casing for gases under compression; a valve for opening and closing the outlet of the casing; means for opening the valve; an explosive member adapted to opcrate the opening means; an electric generator for tiring the explosive member; a pneumatic circuit-closer connected with the explosive member and with the generator; and a safety device for rendering the circuitcloser inactive.

vS ?,..Apparatus of the specified class, comprismg a casing adapted to hold gas under lll compression; means for liberating the gas; explosive means for operating the liberating means; an electric generator for firing the explosive means; a pneumatically operable circuit-closer in circuit with the generator and the explosive means; and means for holding the circuit-closer open.

3. Apparatus of the specified class, comprisin a casing having an outlet; a valve norma ly closing the outlet; a punch adapted to open the valve by perforation; a cap fitted to the. casing; a diaphragm seated in the cap and enga ing the punch; and electrically control means for operating the diaphragm to drive the punch.

4. Apparatus of the specified class, comprising a casin for gases under compression; a valve or opening and closing the outlet of the casing; means for opening the valve; an explosive member adapted to operate the opening means; an'electric generator for firing the explosive member; and a pneumatic circuit-closer connected with explosive member and with the generator.

5. Apparatus for the protection of safes and safety vaults, comprising a casing for gases under compression; a valve for o nmg and closing the outlet of the casing; means for opening the.valve; an explosive member adapted to operate the opening means; an electric generator for firing the explosive member; and an electrically conductive screen imbedded in the safe or vault and connected with the explosive member and with the generator respectively.

6. Apparatus of the specified class, comprising a casing adapted to hold gases under compression; a valve for opening and closing-the casing; a punch adapted to perforate the valve; and a lever operatable by atmospheric pulsations to operate the punch.

l7. Apparatus of the specified class, comprising a casing adapted to hold gas under compression; means for liberating the gas; explosive means for operating the liberating means; an electric generator for firing the explosive means; and a pneumatically operable circuit-closerin circuit with the generator and the explosive means.

8. Apparatus of the specified class, comprising a casing adapted to hold gases under compression; means for liberating the gases; electrically operatable means for operating the liberating means: a pneumatically operatable circuit-closer for bringing the electrically operatable means into action; and means or holding the circuit-closer inoperative.

9. Apparatus of the specied class, comprising a casing adapted to hold gases under compression; means for liberating the gases; electrically operatable means for operating the liberatin means; and a pneumatically olperatable circuit-closer for bringing the e ectrically operatable means into action.

10. Apparatus for the protection of safes and the llke, comprising a casing for gases under compression; means for liberating the gases; an electric circuit for operating the liberating means; and an electrically conductive screen, embedded in the walls of the safe and connected as a circuit-closer in said circuit.

Witness our signatures at Omaha, Nebraska; October 15, 1921.

EMANUEL V. LORIG. ULYSSES G. GRAHAM. 

